


the terrible secret of space

by torches



Category: Yotsubato! (Yotsuba&!)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Character of Color, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-19
Updated: 2010-01-19
Packaged: 2017-10-09 14:03:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/88254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/torches/pseuds/torches
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Man, what a remarkable kid," says Miura. "She must really like robots."</p>
            </blockquote>





	the terrible secret of space

**Author's Note:**

  * For [gloss](https://archiveofourown.org/users/gloss/gifts).



"Her name is Yotsuba," Koiwai says to the teacher, as he puts a hand on her back and gives her a gentle nudge towards the middle of the room. There are tables with holoports and fixated children all around the edges of the space where he wants her to go, and for a while she stares at them all, hesitating because it's such a strange thing to see something her age so still outside of a bed, but the drag of her legs fades fast, and soon she's running to stand where Koiwai thinks she should go and waving.

"Hi! My name is Yostuba! I like trees, the ones in the garden especially, but also the ones on the old videos, and the air vents, because Koiwai says without them we wouldn't be able to see the stars. And I like to see the stars. They're pretty." She says it all in a rush, because it all seems connected and she wouldn't want anyone to think they were missing anything she could show them.

The other kids slowly turn to face her, blinking. Some of them start to get up. Yotsuba's smile grows because she knew that stillness was only temporary, Koiwai said it only happened when humans were getting deep transmission fed to them, and that she would need to wait a little for her new friends to wake up from their sleepytime. Yotsuba hadn't gotten what that was out of him yet, but she was working on it. She would learn eventually, since he said she was old enough to start, and afterwards they'd let her play in the garden all she wanted. It was a very important thing to the grownups, because it was necessary to the en-vi-ron-ment, Koiwai had said. The en-vi-ron-ment was what kept humans alive, so Yotsuba knew she had to take good care of the garden, because she liked Koiwai and her neighbors.

"Nice to meet you, Yotsuba," teacher says, the smile on her face bright like the landing strip lights that the ship Koiwai brought her home on followed into the spaceport. Her eyes shine in the dark, too, and Yotsuba leans up as close as she can get.

"Are you a robot, Miss Teacher?" she says. "I met a robot the other day, his name was Jumbo. He works with Koiwai. Do you know him? He's very tall!" She gestures, in case the word isn't clear. It wasn't very clear to Jumbo, in her opinion, so she wants to make sure.

The teacher glances back at where Koiwai still stands, awkward and uncertain, and her face dimples with a toothless smile. "Jumbo is a very difficult person to miss," the teacher says, "and yes, everyone knows him. Jumbo is a very hard worker, though he may not look it."

Yotsuba nods. "He loafs around too much!"

The teacher laughs. "Perhaps, but everyone needs rest. Even you, Yotsuba."

Yotsuba shakes her head. "I don't need rest! My dad says my power supply is infinitely rechargeable!" She pokes her chest defiantly, then looks to Koiwai for the moral support he's obligated to provide.

He just looks sheepish instead. Yotsuba runs over to the nearest person who isn't an adult and picks her up. "I have an infinite power supply, see? Agree with me! What's your name?"

"Miura, and I'll agree to anything you say if you stop shaking me first," the older child says. Yotsuba stops shaking her.

"I'm Yotsuba!" she says, after Miura stares at her for ten forevers. "What are you looking at?"

Miura blinks. "Nothing, I guess," she says, before standing up on her own two feet. Yotsuba can't shake her anymore, her arms are too high up. All around them, the other kids are watching intently. Yotsuba turns to look right back at them. Yotsuba realizes that must be how human children say hello, and she really wants to be their friend.

"Man, what a remarkable kid," says Miura. "She must really like robots."

"You have no idea," Koiwai says, smiling, and Yotsuba turns to beam at him.

Koiwai would know, after all. He was the one who opened the pod.

Yotsuba's serial numbers aren't where anyone else can see them, but she knows them just the same.


End file.
